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  • Edwards wins NNS race at Texas; Keselowski captures the NNS Championship

    Edwards wins NNS race at Texas; Keselowski captures the NNS Championship

    Fort Worth, Texas – Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 60 of theCopart.com Ford holds off Kyle Busch and wins the O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday.

    Edwards jumped to the lead with forty-five laps to go.  Edwards and Busch would battle for the lead on the restart after the caution on lap 148, but after that, nobody had anything for Edwards.

    Brad Keselowski driver of the No.22 Discount Tire Dodge would capture the NNS Championship and the first for Roger Penske.

    “What a terrific season it has been for Brad and the No. 22 Discount Tire/Ruby Tuesday Dodge team in the Nationwide Series. Penske Racing is very excited to share our organization’s first NASCAR championship with our partners at Dodge. We want to thank Ralph Gilles and his team at Dodge Motorsports for their hard work and dedication and we look forward to many more celebrations in Victory Circle with both the Chargers and the Challengers in the future.” Roger Penske said.

    Busch would take the lead from pole-setter James Buescher at lap five and led thirty-nine laps before the first ServiceMaster Clean caution was thrown at lap forty-four due to a blown tire by Buescher in turn four.

    Before the first caution was thrown there was not too much action on the track. Busch slid under Kevin Harvick at lap three to take over the second spot. Then at lap five Busch got the run on Buescher coming off turn four to take the lead.

    We saw the first contact of the race at lap eleven, between the 05 driven by David Starr and the 7 of Danica Patrick on the backstretch, but no caution was thrown. Both Starr and Patrick came to the pits at lap thirteen to fix their cars from the mishap a couple of laps earlier.

    We finally saw our first ServiceMaster Clean caution at lap fourty-four when James Buescher driver of the No. 30 Wolfpack Energy Chevrolet slapped the wall in turn four after blowing a tire. This would bring the leaders down pit road, Kyle Busch overshot his pit stall, but was able to quickly back up and complete his stop. The only other action on pit road was the No. 21 of Clint Bowyer, had trouble re-firing his car and stalled exiting his pits, resulting in the loss of several spots.

    The green flag would drop with Carl Edwards getting his first lead of the race. Edwards would lead twelve laps, before fellow Roush Fenway driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. driver of the No. 7 CITI Financial Ford would take the lead and lead the next twenty-seven laps until the next caution came out at lap eighty-one, due car troubles from the 05 of David Starr.

    The green flag would drop again at lap eighty-six where Kyle Busch would lead for the second time of the day.  Busch, would lead for the next fifty-seven laps and that gets us through the half-way point at lap one hundred.  At the half-way point we saw two cautions, four lead changes and four different leaders.  The drivers would complete their scheduled green flag pit stops with Kyle Busch coming back on top.

    Our third ServiceMaster Clean caution came at lap 148, with debris in turn four. There may be some damage to the right front valence on third-place Brad Keselowski’s car. The green flag would again drop at lap 152 with Kyle Busch still on top, Edwards would rocket past Kyle Busch for the lead going into turn one and there was no looking back after that for Edwards.

    We would see our fourth caution, at lap 186 when the No.42 driven by Parker Kligerman spun off turn two.  The green flag would drop at lap 190 with Trevor Bayne leading briefly, before he is swallowed up Busch going to the inside of Edwards making it three-wide going into turn one. Brian Scott driver of 09 Shore Line Dodge would slap the wall on lap 195, but not in Busch’s favor a caution was not thrown.

    However, Busch would catch his break on lap 197 when Clint Bowyer would bring out the fifth caution. And we would see the third Green-White-Checkerd in Texas Motor Speedway NNS races.  

    Edwards, would get a huge jump on the start and easily would take the lead, Busch and Keselowski would try, but Edwards would have the best car and score his third NNS victory of the season.

    “The restart there, Carl jumped the restart.  NASCAR never wants to be the outcome of the race, but yet every other week they are.  It doesn’t surprise me that they aren’t this week.” Busch said.

    There were a total of five ServiceMaster Clean cautions for a total of twenty-four laps. This would Busch’s posted his eleventh top-10 finish in twelve races at TMS. It is his twenty-fourth of the 2010 season. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was the highest finishing rookie with an eleventh place finish.

    The top-ten finishers of the O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge are: No. 60 Carl Edwards, No. 18 Kyle Busch, No. 22 Brad Keselowski, No. 20 Joey Logano, No. 99 Martin Truex Jr.,No. 38 Jason Lefler, No.32 Reed Sorenson, No.33 Kevin Harvick, No.98 of Paul Menard, and finally the No.66 Steve Wallace

    Unofficial Race Results

    O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge, Texas Motor Speedway

    November 6, 2010 – Race 33 of 35

    Pos. St. No. Driver Make Pts. Bon. Laps Status
    1 0 60 Carl Edwards Ford 190 5 205 Running
    2 0 18 Kyle Busch Toyota 180 10 205 Running
    3 0 22 Brad Keselowski Dodge 170 5 205 Running
    4 0 20 Joey Logano Toyota 160 0 205 Running
    5 0 99 Martin Truex Jr. Toyota 155 0 205 Running
    6 0 38 Jason Leffler Toyota 150 0 205 Running
    7 0 32 Reed Sorenson Toyota 146 0 205 Running
    8 0 33 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 142 0 205 Running
    9 0 98 Paul Menard Ford 138 0 205 Running
    10 0 66 Steve Wallace Toyota 134 0 205 Running
    11 0 6 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Ford 135 5 205 Running
    12 0 17 Trevor Bayne Ford 132 5 205 Running
    13 0 12 Justin Allgaier Dodge 124 0 205 Running
    14 0 16 Erik Darnell Ford 121 0 205 Running
    15 0 11 David Reutimann Toyota 118 0 205 Running
    16 0 88 Aric Almirola Chevrolet 120 5 205 Running
    17 0 62 Brendan Gaughan Toyota 112 0 205 Running
    18 0 15 Michael Annett Toyota 109 0 205 Running
    19 0 104 Jeremy Clements Chevrolet 106 0 203 Running
    20 0 87 Joe Nemechek Chevrolet 103 0 203 Running
    21 0 40 Mike Bliss Chevrolet 100 0 202 Running
    22 0 7 Danica Patrick Chevrolet 97 0 202 Running
    23 0 1 Mike Wallace Chevrolet 94 0 202 Running
    24 0 28 Kenny Wallace Chevrolet 91 0 202 Running
    25 0 34 Tony Raines Chevrolet 88 0 202 Running
    26 0 24 Eric McClure Ford 85 0 202 Running
    27 0 23 Robert Richardson Jr. Chevrolet 82 0 202 Running
    28 0 70 Shelby Howard Chevrolet 79 0 201 Running
    29 0 35 Jason Keller Chevrolet 76 0 199 Running
    30 0 21 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet 73 0 198 In Pit
    31 0 27 Alex Kennedy Ford 70 0 197 Running
    32 0 9 Brian Scott * Toyota 67 0 196 In Pit
    33 0 31 Stanton Barrett Chevrolet 64 0 189 In Pit
    34 0 42 Parker Kligerman Dodge 61 0 180 Running
    35 0 10 Ricky Carmichael Toyota 58 0 89 In Pit
    36 0 81 Michael McDowell Dodge 55 0 59 Out
    37 0 131 James Buescher * Chevrolet 57 5 41 In Pit
    38 0 5 David Starr Chevrolet 49 0 36 In Pit
    39 0 179 Tim Andrews Ford 46 0 31 Out
    40 0 91 David Gilliland Chevrolet 43 0 20 Out
    41 0 107 Danny Efland Chevrolet 40 0 12 Out
    42 0 52 Kevin Lepage Chevrolet 37 0 12 In Pit
    43 0 92 Dennis Setzer Dodge 34 0 3 In Pit

  • Kevin Harvick Inc. Announces Multi-Year Sponsorship Agreement with CitiFinancial and driver Elliott Sadler

    KERNERSVILLE, N.C. (November 5, 2010) – Kevin Harvick Inc. announced today an expansion of its NASCAR Nationwide Series program with partner CitiFinancial and driver Elliott Sadler. CitiFinancial and Kevin Harvick Inc. have solidified a multi-year deal to compete full time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and run select events in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The partnership will begin on the track during Championship Week at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where Sadler will run the No. 2 CitiFinancial Chevrolet in the Truck Series event.  In 2011, CitiFinancial will be the primary sponsor for 29 Nationwide Series races with Sadler, and one Nationwide race with Kevin Harvick.

    This partnership marks both a new beginning for each of the three parties involved, as well as an opportunity to build on past experiences.  CitiFinancial, which has maintained a strong presence in the sport since 2004, announced earlier this year that it will be changing its name and will use this sponsorship as a key platform to launch that new brand.   KHI is excited to build on its successes in the Nationwide Series and run for a championship in 2011. Sadler will start the next chapter of his 15-year career by reuniting with a former sponsor as he looks to add to his career win total of nine in the top three NASCAR series.

    Mary McDowell, President and CEO of CitiFinancial North America stated, “We are thrilled to expand and enhance our incredibly successful presence in NASCAR. Our customers and employees are huge supporters of this great sport, and we could not be happier teaming up with Kevin Harvick Inc. and Elliott Sadler.  We have worked with Elliott in the past, so this is somewhat of a reunion for NASCAR fans and for us. By partnering with KHI and Elliott, we have a powerful platform from which we can support our new brand and our business overall. We look forward to a great 2011 season on and off the track.”

    Sadler comes to KHI as an experienced NASCAR veteran.  The 35 year old made his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut in 1995 at South Boston (Va.) Speedway accumulating 130 starts, five wins, 19 top-five and 38 top-10 finishes. Sadler will compete full time in the Nationwide Series in 2011 and vie for his first series title.  During 2010, Sadler will compete in one Nationwide and eightTruck Series races for KHI. He won his first Truck race of his career in KHI equipment at Pocono (Pa.) International Raceway in July. Sadler also qualified on the pole and finished third while representing KHI at Bristol in the August Nationwide Series race.

    “Kevin and DeLana and everyone at KHI have really rejuvenated my career,” stated Sadler. “I’ve been in some very fortunate situations throughout my career and I feel like running the races for KHI this year is a perfect example. It opened a lot of doors for me and obviously helped get us to this point. We’re committing to race for the Nationwide Championship in 2011. That’s a very achievable goal and one that I’m very hungry for. CitiFinancial is a partner I worked with when I drove for Robert Yates. We had a lot of fun during those days and I feel like this time around is going to be even better. We’re going to kick this partnership off in Homestead and spend all winter getting ready to run for a championship.”

    For 2011, KHI also takes a big step as an organization as they continue to expand.  The team ran two full-time Nationwide Series entries in 2006 and 2007, scaling back the program in 2008.  Since 2008, the team has earned six wins, 46 top-five and 67 top-10 finishes, including 10 pole awards. KHI co-owner Kevin Harvick felt 2011 was the right time to grow KHI back into a two-car Nationwide Series team.

    “DeLana and I couldn’t be happier to bring Elliott Sadler on board at KHI,” said KHI co-owner Kevin Harvick.  “I think when you can bring somebody with that kind of experience to a team; it brings a very credible element to the program because he’s a proven winner in the Cup, Nationwide and Truck Series. For us, it’s the first time that we’ve had a legitimate shot to make a run at the Nationwide Series championship and that’s really exciting as team owners.  We’ve been able to win two championships in the Truck Series, and I feel like the next step as a company is to pursue the Nationwide Series championship and I think Elliott Sadler is the right guy for the job.

    “We are also very pleased to be joined by a new partner at KHI,” Harvick continued.  “CitiFinancial has been involved in NASCAR for many years, and we are proud they decided to join KHI.  Next season we look forward to taking them to victory lane and racing for a championship.”

     

    CitiFinancial

    CitiFinancial is the premier community lender in North America. With more than 1,500 locations across the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico, CitiFinancial has been serving communities since 1912.  Additional information may be found at www.citifinancial.com.

    Citi

    Citi, the leading global financial services company, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 140 countries. Through Citicorp and Citi Holdings, Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com or www.citi.com.

  • TURNER MOTORSPORTS ANNOUNCES 2011 PLANS FOR ITS NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES AND NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES PROGRAMS

    Team announces driver and marketing partner lineup, manufacturer and engine supplier

     

    MOORESVILLE, NC (November 5, 2010) – Turner Motorsports is pleased to announce its driver and marketing partner lineup for their 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) and NASCAR Camping World Series (NCWTS) programs.  The driver lineup includes the return of a number of familiar faces such as Kasey Kahne, Reed Sorenson, Jason Leffler, James Buescher, Ricky Carmichael and USAC superstar, Brad Sweet.  The team has also added NASCAR Nationwide Series standout, Justin Allgaier, who will pilot the No. 31 Chevrolet for both the 2011 and 2012 seasons.  The team will field three full-time entries in both the NCWTS and NNS.    

    Additionally, Turner Motorsports announces that they will continue their relationship with General Motors and the Chevrolet brand.  The organization has created alliances with General Motors powerhouse teams Hendrick Motorsports, who will provide engine support for both its NNS and NCWTS programs, Kevin Harvick Inc. for body and aero support, and Earnhardt Technology Group for drive train and suspension technology assistance.

    Team owner, Steve Turner, is quick to thank Toyota for its past support of Braun Racing, which was recently acquired by Turner Motorsports.  He acknowledges their role in helping the team achieve the tremendous success that it has over the last four years. 

    “I would like to thank Toyota for all of its support of Braun Racing over the last four seasons,” commented Turner.  “They have been an integral part in the success of Braun Racing and we applaud their efforts in supporting NASCAR in each of the top-three touring series.”

    “That being said, we are very pleased to be continuing our long-standing relationship with Chevrolet,” Turner continued.  “For a first year team, we have had tremendous success with our Camping World Truck Series program due in large part to our partnership with them.  With Chevrolet ‘s support and the addition of the alliances we have formed, we expect that we can follow in their high ideals of winning races and championships.” 

    The team is proud to have all of its current outstanding marketing partners return in 2011 including Dollar General, Great Clips, Monster Energy, Wolfpack Rentals, AccuDoc Solutions, ABF Freight, BigSpot.com, Rexall, the Fraternal Order of Eagles (FOE) and Deft paint. 

    The driver/ sponsor lineup is listed below:

    NASCAR Nationwide Series

    No. 30 Chevrolet Impala

    Drivers: Ricky Carmichael, James Buescher and Jason Leffler

    Sponsors:  Rotation of sponsors including Monster Energy, Wolfpack Energy Services, Great Clips, Rexall, AccuDoc Solutions, BigSpot.com, ABF Freight and FOE

     

    No. 31 Chevrolet Impala

    Driver:  Justin Allgaier

    Primary Sponsor: TBD

     

    No. 32 Chevrolet Impala

    Drivers: Reed Sorenson

    Primary Sponsor: Dollar General

     

    No. 38 Chevrolet Impala

    Drivers: Kasey Kahne and Jason Leffler

    Primary Sponsor: Great Clips

     NASCAR Camping World Truck Series

    No. 4 Chevrolet Silverado

    Driver: Ricky Carmichael

    Primary Sponsor: Monster Energy

     

    No. 31 Chevrolet Silverado

    Driver:  James Buescher

    Primary Sponsor: Wolfpack Rentals

    No. 32 Chevrolet Silverado

    Drivers: Brad Sweet, Jason Leffler, Justin Allgaier and additional driver(s) TBD

    Sponsors:  Great Clips for a select number of races with additional sponsors TBD

    “We have a great stable of both drivers and partners,” said Turner. “This driver lineup shows Turner Motorsport’s commitment to continuing to cultivate up and coming talent in NASCAR’s top series.  We are thrilled that all of our existing marketing partners will return to Turner Motorsports in 2011.  We think it is a testament to all the hard work of each and every employee at Turner Motorsports.  We all have high expectations for the future including winning races and championships. We know that we have a lot of work ahead of us but with dedication to the program we can achieve our goals.”

    ###

    About Turner Motorsports: 
    Turner Motorsports, LLC, established in 1999, is in the midst of its inaugural full season of NASCAR competition. Owned by Texas-native, Steve Turner, the racing organization is expanding in 2011 from a two-truck operation in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series to become the largest stand-alone multi-series team in NASCAR’s top-tier touring series.  Turner Motorsports operates out of an 110,000 square-foot state-of-the art facility in Mooresville, N.C., and will house three entries in both the NASCAR Nationwide Series and the Camping World Truck Series.  The team boasts an all-star driver line-up that includes Kasey Kahne, Reed Sorenson, Jason Leffler, Justin Allgaier, Ricky Carmichael, James Buescher and Brad Sweet.  The Chevrolet-backed team has created alliances with General Motors powerhouse teams Hendrick Motorsports, who will provide engine support for both its NNS and NCWTS programs, Kevin Harvick Inc. for body and aero support, and Earnhardt Technology Group for drive train and suspension technology assistance. Turner Motorsports’ marketing partners includes Dollar General, Great Clips, Monster Energy, AccuDoc Solutions, Wolfpack Rentals, Rexall, Fraternal Order of Eagles, ABF Freight, Bigspot.com, Northeastern Supply, Deft Paint, SEM and Safety-Kleen. For more information on Turner Motorsports, visit www.teamturnermotorsports.com.

  • Jason Leffler sports a ‘Garage Mahal’ paint scheme for DIY Network at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend

    JASON LEFFLER QUICK FACTS

    Texas Motor Speedway

    O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge

    November 6, 2010

    · Special “Garage Mahal” paint scheme for the No. 38 at Texas Motor Speedway (TMS)… This weekend, the No. 38 Great Clips Camry will feature a special paint scheme featuring DIY network’s popular show “Garage Mahal.” Hosted by actor and professional wrestler, Bill Goldberg, “Garage Mahal” is a show about remodeling and tricking out garages to a whole new level. Great Clips drivers, Kasey Kahne and Jason Leffler, will be featured in an episode of the show in which they assist in presenting a Charlotte-area couple with a Great Clips Racing-themed garage. The show is scheduled to air on Friday, Dec. 3 at 9:30 p.m. EST, exclusively on DIY Network.

    Bill Goldberg on the “Garage Mahal” episode featuring Leffler and Kahne:

    “I especially enjoyed this partnership for Garage Mahal,” said Goldberg. “As an avid racing fan, I understand the excitement of having a space where you can entertain, watch the race and cheer on your favorite drivers. We have transformed a lot of garages into unbelievable spaces, but this garage will go above and beyond with the support of Kasey and Jason.”

    Leffler on the “Garage Mahal” paint scheme:

    “Filming “Garage Mahal” was a blast! Bill Goldberg was a lot of fun to work with and I know that Kasey and I both really enjoyed it. The Great Clips Racing-themed garage turned out really cool and the homeowners were blown away by how it turned out. The episode airs on December 3rd at 9:30pm, exclusively on the DIY Network, so make sure to check it out!”

    · Texas is the Site of Leffler’s First Career Nationwide Series Pole… In his first start at TMS in 2000, Leffler captured his first career Nationwide Series pole. Two years later, he sat on the pole for his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at the Fort Worth-based track.

    · Leffler at TMS, by the numbers… Leffler has 12 Nationwide Series starts at TMS with one pole (2000), one top-five and four top-10 finishes. His best performance at the 1.5-mile tri-oval came last November when he started and finished third. In his last visit to TMS this spring, Leffler finished 12th after starting from the eighth spot and leading for four laps.

    · Turner Motorsports 2011 plans to be announced… Turner Motorsports will proudly announce its 2011 plans for both its NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Series programs on Friday, November 5 at 2:30pm CT. The announcement will include driver and sponsor line-up as well as manufacturer and engine supplier details. The press conference will take place in the Victory Theater at the TMS Media Center.

    · Leffler on SIRIUS’ Morning Drive every Wednesday… Don’t forget to tune in to SIRIUS Radio’s “Morning Drive” with Mike Bagley and Pete Pistone every Wednesday at 10:30am to hear Leffler’s take on recent events in the Nationwide Series and what you can expect from the week’s upcoming race.

    Leffler on racing at Texas Motor Speedway

    “Texas is a really fun track to race! It’s fast and slick with a wide racing surface. You can pretty much run anywhere on the track you want to based on how your car is handling. Turn two is the trouble spot there. The banking holds you really good and then, at last second, the banking falls off. If you aren’t careful you can get caught out there and pick up a bad push at the very end or, if you’re pushing before that, it can snap you loose. It definitely has its own unique characteristics but it is a great track and the racing is always really good.”

    Equipment Information

    The No. 38 Great Clips team will hit the track with chassis #023 in this weekend’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge. Chassis #023 has posted three top-10 finishes this season in races at Kansas Speedway (10th), Chicagoland Speedway (5th) and Atlanta Motor Speedway (7th).

    Jason Leffler Statistics

    Texas Motor Speedway

    Career NASCAR Nationwide Series

    No. Starts: 12

    Best Start: 1st (spring, 2000)

    Best Finish: 3rd (fall, 2009)

    Average Start: 15.8

    Average Finish: 14.6

    Top-Fives: 1

    Top-10’s: 4

    DNFs: 1

    Laps: 2258/2406 (93.8%)

    Laps Led: 5

    No. Starts: 255

    Wins: 2

    Top-5 Finishes: 40

    Top-10 Finishes: 92

    Poles: 8

    Average Start: 17.2

    Average Finish: 17.0

    Laps Led: 604

  • Sadler finds new home at KHI for 2011

    Sadler finds new home at KHI for 2011

    Elliott Sadler has found a new home for 2011. Sadler who currently drives for Richard Petty Motorsports in the Sprint Cup Series completed a deal Thursday night that will allow him to compete for the Nationwide Series Championship with Kevin Harvick Inc.

    KHI has scheduled a news conference for Friday afternoon at Texas Motor Speedway to announce it’s 2011 program.

    KHI was already planning to field the number 33 Chevrolet with technical assistance from Richard Childress Racing and owner Kevin Harvick as well as Clint Bowyer and Paul Menard driving the car. There was no confirmation at this time whether a second car would be fielded by KHI.

    Elliott Sadler won a truck race for KHI earlier this year at Pocono.In 130 career Nationwide starts, Sadler has five wins, 19 top-five and 38 top-10 finishes and six poles. He has not run full time in the series since 1998.

  • Elliott Sadler, Justin Allgaier, Joe Gibbs Racing: Three Press Conferences for Texas

    Elliott Sadler, Justin Allgaier, Joe Gibbs Racing: Three Press Conferences for Texas

    Friday at Texas Motor Speedway seems to be a busy day as three separate teams are making announcements, in which some of the details are already known to the public.

    Kevin Harvick Incorporated and Elliott Sadler

    Kevin Harvick Incorporated (KHI) has scheduled a press conference for Friday afternoon to announce their “2011 program”. Both the Charlotte Observer and ThatsRacin.com are reporting that one of the announcements they will be making is that Elliott Sadler will be driving for KHI full-time in the Nationwide Series.

    Back in October, Sadler told NASCAR.com that Kevin Harvick would be a good owner to have due to the experience with him.

    “You know, when I felt like people might have turned their backs on me and done other stuff and left me in a tough situation, Kevin stepped up to the plate,” Sadler said. “He’s like, ‘Man, I believe in you, you can get this done. I want you to run my equipment.’ It has been a great situation. Kevin has done a lot to revive my career and give me confidence. He’s a great motivator right now.”

    Sadler chose to leave Richard Petty Motorsports at season’s end due to the lack of success he was experiencing. Though this past year running some Truck races for Kevin Harvick has offered that to Sadler. Sadler has made six starts for KHI, posting one win, two top-fives and three top-10s.

    Charlotte Observer also reports that KHI also will field the No. 33 Chevy again in the Nationwide Series with team co-owner Kevin Harvick driving most of the races, along with Richard Childress Racing drivers Clint Bowyer, Paul Menard, and Austin Dillion.

    Turner Motorsports and Justin Allgaier

    Turner Motorsports announced that on Friday at 2:30pm CT, they’d be making an announcement that would include their driver and sponsor line-up, as well as manufacture and engine supplier.

    ESPN.com has learned that Justin Allgaier will be one of the drivers announced in the line-up as he will drive the full-time in the Nationwide Series.

    Allgaier was let go from Penske Racing after Verizon took their name off of the car. Allgaier is currently the highest ranked non-Sprint Cup driver in the Nationwide Series standings, sitting in fourth place with a win at Bristol.

    Turner Motorsports will be a fielding a total of six teams with three in the Nationwide Series and three in the Camping World Truck Series. Current drivers Ricky Carmichael and James Buescher will return to drive two of the team’s trucks.

    Carmichael currently sits 11 in points with three top fives and eight top 10s in 22 starts while Buescher sits 12 in points with six top fives and nine top 10s in 19 starts.

    Joe Gibbs Racing

    J.D. Gibbs, president of Joe Gibbs Racing, is expected to announce Joe Gibbs Racing’s 2011 Nationwide Series program at 10 a.m. on Saturday, following the Nationwide Series driver/crew chief meeting. Expect the plans to include current Sprint Cup drivers Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, and Joey Logano with development drivers Matt DiBenedetto and Brad Coleman.

  • Dodge Motorsports Notes & Quotes – NNS Race Advance – Texas

    Dodge Motorsports NNS Race Advance
    O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge                        
    Texas Motor Speedway
    Saturday, Nov. 6, 2010
    www.media.chrysler.com
    www.twitter.com/teamdodge

    DODGE NUGGETS
    • Dodge is seeking its first NASCAR Nationwide Series championship – its
    seventh overall title covering the three NASCAR national series..
    • Dodge’s last NASCAR championship was in 2005 when Ted Musgrave won the
    Camping World Truck Series title.

    DID YOU KNOW
    Dodge driver Brad Keselowski leads the Nationwide Series in top-five finishes
    (23), top-10 finishes (26) and laps completed in 2010.  He has completed all
    but one of the 5,884 laps contested this season.  Keselowski has led the field
    for 1,146 of those circuits, marking the first time he has led more than 1,000
    laps in a season.

    JUSTIN ALLGAIER – No. 12 Verizon Wireless Dodge
    Highlights:
    • Has earned four-consecutive top-10 finishes in his last four NASCAR
    Nationwide Series starts.
    • Earned his first Nationwide victory earlier this year at Bristol Motor
    Speedway, leading a 1-2 finish for Penske Racing and Dodge. 
    • Has one win along with nine top-five and 19 top-10 finishes, an average
    starting position of 11.7 and an average finish of 11.6.
    • Currently fourth in the season point standings, best among full-time
    Nationwide Series-only drivers.
    • Has two poles this season, most recently at Gateway two weeks ago.
    • Has finished in the top 15 in nine of the last 10 races.
    • In the top five in points all season.
    • Was the 2009 Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year.

    BRAD KESELOWSKI – No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Charger
    Highlights:
    • Seeking his first NASCAR Nationwide Series championship.
    • Can mathematically clinch the championship for Dodge and the first NASCAR
    title for Penske Racing this weekend at TMS with a finish of 21st or better or
    a 391-point advantage at the conclusion of the race.
    • Currently leads the Nationwide Series standings by 485 points over Carl
    Edwards – his largest lead of the season.  He has led the point standings the
    last 25 races.
    • Earned back-to-back wins at Talladega and Richmond and has four wins in
    2010.
    • Has a NASCAR record 99 consecutive Nationwide Series races without a DNF
    (Did Not Finish).
    • His 2010 Nationwide Series totals in addition to the five wins include 22
    top-five and 25 top-10 finishes. 

    DODGE NATIONWIDE SERIES QUOTES

    “We’re close, but nothing has been decided yet.  Our attitude going into this
    weekend is that we are behind in points, which we are in the owner’s
    standings.  Regardless of how this season turns out, I’m proud of this team.
    To come out of the box like we have, with a brand-new team, is pretty
    remarkable.  I told Mr. Penske when I made the move to Penske Racing that I
    wanted to run the full Nationwide Series schedule because I thought we could
    be very competitive.  We were able to attract great sponsors in Discount Tire
    and Ruby Tuesday.  We were able to bring in talented people, including my crew
    chief Paul Wolfe.  To be in position to win the first NASCAR championship for
    Penske Racing is something that I take a tremendous amount of pride in.  It’s
    the culmination of a lot of hard work by a lot of people.”
    Brad Keselowski, No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Charger

    “Texas is a fun place.  It’s a fast mile-and-a-half track that has a lot of
    bumps in Turns 1 and 2.  It’s got very different banking characteristics than
    Charlotte or Atlanta.  It’s a place where you race hard every lap.  We’ve had
    some decent races there, but the fall race has always seemed to be a weak
    point for us.”
    Justin Allgaier, No. 12 Verizon Wireless Dodge Charger

  • Martin Truex Jr., OUT! Pet Care Toyota Texas Preview

    CORNELIUS, N.C. — No. 99 OUT! Pet Care Toyota driver Martin Truex Jr. hopes his successful return to the NASCAR Nationwide Series continues this weekend at the ultrafast Texas Motor Speedway. In his three 2010 starts, the two-time champion owns two top-five finishes and has led 34 laps. The Mayetta, N.J. native finished second at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Oct. 25 just 1.137 seconds behind Brad Keselowski. The Diamond-Waltrip Racing team’s first-year sponsor OUT! Pet Care, headquartered in Dallas, calls Texas Motor Speedway its home track.

    QUOTES

    TRUEX ON RACING IN THE NATIONWIDE SERIES AT TEXAS: “What I like about running in the NASCAR Nationwide Series is there is no pressure on me and going into the race this weekend. I know I have a real shot at winning because of the quality of cars we have a Diamond-Waltrip Racing. It’s been a lot of fun working with that team and at Charlotte, we almost won the race. I expect a similar situation heading to Texas because it’s one of my favorite tracks. What I like about Texas is it takes a complete package. You have to have a great motor, a great aero package and a great chassis. Downforce is also important. It is one of the fastest places we go to and you have to like to go fast. That’s what I like about Texas. You spend a lot of time in the throttle and during the race, the key is to get your car turning well.”

    ON THE DIAMOND-WALTRIP NATIONWIDE PROGRAM: “The Nationwide program at Diamond-Waltrip Racing is awesome. The cars are always really fast right off the truck. Jerry Baxter and Mike Greci have done a great job fine tuning these cars. I think DWR is one of the top Nationwide teams in the garage. Every time I have been in one of those cars this year, I have had a chance to win. I am really excited about running a few more Nationwide races this season and hopefully grabbing a win or two.”

    IF RACING ON SATURDAY GIVES HIM CONFIDENCE FOR SUNDAY: “I think running the race on Saturday gives me a lot of confidence for Sunday. The cars are very different and racing on Saturday doesn’t help you with the car setup for Sunday. However, learning things about the track and understanding where the track goes throughout the Nationwide race gives you a little head start on Sunday. Figuring out which way the track goes during the race gives you a better idea as to where you need to start on Sunday. It’s definitely an advantage but for me I just enjoy driving that car. The OUT! Pet Care Toyota has been running well and they always seem to have a good car for me. Hopefully I can get into victory lane.”

    NOTES OF INTEREST

    · Gary and Blake Bechtel along with Michael Waltrip Racing own Diamond-Waltrip Racing that fields Toyota Camrys out of the MWR shop in Cornelius, N.C. The Bechtels have owned cars in the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series since 1990. The Morgan Hill, California residents’ teams have visited victory lane 10 times in the Nationwide Series.

    · Truex won Nationwide Series titles in 2004 and 2005. He became the fifth driver to win consecutive NNS championships, and the sixth to win multiple titles.

    · Truex owns 100 NNS starts. He has 13 wins, 10 poles, 39 top-five and 60 top-10 finishes. The Mayetta, N.J. native, has led 1,852 laps of competition and has only scored five DNF (did not finish) in his Nationwide Series career.

    · Saturday is Truex’s fourth NNS race at Texas Motor Speedway. He has started all three races from the top 10 and has a finishing average of 18th. His best finish is 10th (April 3, 2004) and he has run 570 of 600 laps of competition (95 percent). His last NNS start at the 1.5-mile track was Nov. 5, 2005.

  • Justin Allgaier, No. 12 Verizon Dodge – Texas Motor Speedway Preview

    Justin Allgaier

    No. 12 Verizon Dodge Charger

    Texas Motor Speedway – O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge

    November 6, 2010

    Verizon Team News and Notes

    This Week’s Verizon Dodge … Justin Allgaier will pilot Penske Racing chassis PRS-032 in Saturday afternoon’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway. Built new for 2010, this Dodge Charger debuted at Texas Motor Speedway in April, where Allgaier started 18th and finished 11th. The 2009 Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year then raced it at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where he started 11th and finished fourth, and at Atlanta Motor Speedway in September, where the Riverton, Ill.-native started 20th and finished 13th. Most recently, Allgaier raced this chassis to a seventh-place finish at Kansas Speedway in October.

    Allgaier at Texas … In four previous NNS starts at TMS, Allgaier has recorded one top-10 finish. His best finish, 10th, came in the spring race of last year. Additionally, the 24-year-old driver has an average starting position of 14.8, an average finish of 16.8 and has completed 92.8 percent of the laps contested (742 of 800).

    Through 32 Races … With 32 races of the 2010 season in the record books, Allgaier has accumulated two poles, one win, eight top-five and 19 top-10 finishes, an average starting position of 11.7 and an average finish of 11.6. Allgaier has led 221 laps of competition and has completed 97.5 percent of the laps contested (5,736 of 5,884) so far this season.

    Streaking … Allgaier heads to TMS tied for the longest consecutive top-10 streak of his brief career – five races. Additionally, the third-year driver has recorded consecutive third-place finishes in the last two NNS races, at CMS and Gateway International Raceway.

    Get to the Points … Allgaier ranks fourth in the NNS championship point standings heading into this weekend’s event at TMS. He trails current point leader and Penske Racing teammate Brad Keselowski by 866 points, and third-place contender Kyle Busch by 161 points.

    Best in Class … Allgaier’s fourth-place position in the point standings is best among full-time, Nationwide Series-only drivers. Allgaier leads fellow Nationwide-only driver Trevor Bayne, currently ranked eighth, by 645 points.

    Dash 4 Cash Leader … Allgaier currently leads the point standings for the 2010 “Dash 4 Cash” bonus program by 32 markers over second-place contender Bayne. Heading into the fourth and final Dash race of 2010 at TMS this weekend, Allgaier is in position to claim the $75,000 bonus for NNS regulars. Should a non-eligible driver win the race, Allgaier could collect a $150,000 check from the series sponsor.

    Penske Racing at Texas … In 11 previous Nationwide Series starts at Texas, Penske Racing entries have recorded one pole (Ryan Newman, 11/05), one win (Kurt Busch, 04/06), two top-five and four top-10 finishes, and have been atop the leaderboard for 192 laps.

    Penske Racing in 2010 … With 32 races completed in the 2010 season, Penske Racing’s two NASCAR Nationwide Series entries have recorded seven poles, seven wins, a combined 31 top-five and 45 top-10 finishes. Penske Dodges have completed 11,619 of 11,768 laps contested, and have been atop the leaderboard for 1,367 laps with drivers Allgaier and Keselowski.

    Are You Experienced? … In addition to his four previous NNS starts at the 1. 5-mile venue, Allgaier has competed in one Camping World Truck Series race at TMS, posting a 27th-place finish in November of 2005.

    Cast Your Vote … Some 30,000 fans have cast their votes since July 6, and Allgaier is currently ranked among the top-five in the NNS Most Popular Driver award voting (through Wednesday, Sept. 15). Fans can visit www.nascarnationwideseries.com to vote for their favorite NASCAR Nationwide Series driver. Voting continues through Saturday, November 13.

    Meet the Driver … Fans can meet Allgaier on Thursday, November 4 from 6 – 7 p.m. CDT at the Verizon Wireless store located at 12550 South Freeway in Burleson, Texas.

    Justin Allgaier on Texas Motor Speedway

    “Texas is a fun place. It’s a fast mile-and-a-half track that has a lot of bumps in Turns 1 and 2. It’s got very different banking characteristics than Charlotte or Atlanta. It’s a place where you race hard every lap. We’ve had some decent races there, but the fall race has always seemed to be a weak point for us. I’m not sure if it’s the weather or if it’s that we’re pushing that much harder because we know we didn’t run as well as we would have liked in the spring. I think many of the problems we’ve had have been out of our control, other than when I spun out by myself last fall. It seems like we’ve gotten all of our mistakes out of the way, and we should be all set to have a good showing this weekend at Texas.”

    Crew chief Chad Walter on Texas Motor Speedway

    “Texas Motor Speedway has been a track that we’ve never quite gotten a handle on. Handling and track position are the keys to success. Track position is crucial. The cars carry a lot of speed, and there’s usually two, if not three lanes by the time the race begins. Driver comfort is always the first priority, then trim in speed. It’s a great area, it’s a fan-friendly venue, and I think we’ll put on a good show for everyone this weekend.”

  • Justin Lofton Texas Motor Speedway Preview

    JUSTIN LOFTON QUICK FACTS

    Texas Motor Speedway

    WinStar World Casino 350k

    November 5, 2010

    Last Time Out… In last Saturday’s race at Talladega Superspeedway, Justin Lofton was quietly logging laps, playing it safe in the draft early in the running of the Mountain Dew 250. But after another competitor spun in the middle of the pack, Lofton had nowhere to go, getting caught up in the wreck just 22 laps into the event. The accident caused heavy damage to Lofton’s Toyota, ending the team’s effort.

    Texas Take 3… This Friday’s stop at the Texas Motor Speedway will mark Lofton’s third visit to the 1.5-mile track this season (once in Nationwide competition, and once in trucks). Track position and timing got the best of the rookie racer both times, with Lofton getting caught up in run-ins not of his doing. With confidence that the third time is the charm, Lofton and crew chief Mark Rette will turn to a reliable race truck this time around, by running the same truck that has logged multiple top-10 qualifying positions, with a best finish of fifth on a similar 1.5-mile track in Chicago.

    Approaching Off Season Means Busy Schedule For Lofton… With the off season closing in, Lofton is making plans to keep busy during the nearly two-month break in racing action by planning a charity golf tournament. The Justin Lofton Inaugural Charity Golf Tournament will be held on January 22, 2011 at the Del Rio Country Club in Brawley, California. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Boys and Girls Club of the Imperial Valley. As the event comes together, sign-up and event information can be found via LoftonRacing.com.

    Justin Lofton on racing at Texas Speedway “I’m ready to get back to Texas and get the finish that we deserve. We’ve had some really good runs with the truck that we’ll have there this weekend, and I like racing on intermediate tracks. The guys have been working really hard all season, and we’re looking to end the season on a high note over these last three races.”

    Crew Chief Mark Rette on Texas Speedway “Justin knows how to race at Texas and tracks like Texas, we just need some luck to go along with it. If we can qualify up front, log some laps, and have solid pitstops, we’ll put together a good race.”

    Equipment Information Lofton will race chassis RHR65. It is the same truck Lofton raced in Kentucky and Chicagoland, qualifying within the top 10 both times, with a best finish of fifth.